Resilient Spartans delight D'Amato

Ħamrun Spartans and Marsaxlokk were involved in arguably the most exciting match of the 2008-09 season so far.

Seven goals in a frantic 90 minutes left the sizeable crowd at the National Stadium on the edge of the seats until the final whistle with Ħamrun coming out on top after pulling off a remarkable comeback.

Marsaxlokk looked well in control of the match when Malcolm Licari rifled home a spectacular second goal on 51 minutes.

But the Spartans kept going. Inspired by man-of-the-match Ryan Fenech and impressive debutant Sylvano Comvalius, they stunned Marsaxlokk with a four-goal blitz in 25 minutes to emerge 4-3 winners.

Victory was a huge boost for the Spartans who have now given themselves a glimmer of hope of making a late pitch for sixth place and a slot in the Championship Pool. Ħamrun trail rivals Msida St Joseph by seven points but have a game in hand.

Coach Steve D'Amato was understandably delighted with the display of his players on Saturday and paid tribute to their resilience.

"The players deserve all the praise coming their way for what was an extraordinary performance," D'Amato told The Times yesterday.

"I don't think there was anyone at the stadium who gave us a chance when we fell 2-0 behind. But this group of players have got character and kept battling in those tough moments. Their efforts were eventually rewarded with this fantastic win.

"Over the past weeks, the players have been working very hard in training and they are getting their just rewards. Physically, the team is getting stronger and stronger and hopefully we can maintain this positive momentum in our next matches."

For Ħamrun, Saturday's win was their second in succession and immediately sparked talk among their jubilant fans of a renewed challenge for a top-six berth.

D'Amato struck a cautious note though, claiming that he is focusing solely on their next assignment, a tough match against Hibernians on Sunday.

"I don't really think it makes much sense to talk about our prospects of qualifying for the Championship Pool," D'Amato said.

"I'm focusing all my energies on preparing the team for the match against Hibernians next weekend. Beating Marsaxlokk was great but we haven't achieved anything yet. We have still got a lot of work to do and there are several areas where we need to improve.

"We must continue to work hard during training and try to take our game to new levels. We can't afford to lose our concentration because there is still a long way to go."

During the past weeks, rumours have been rife that the Spartans were set to enter into negotiations with Marsaxlokk over attacking duo Dylan Kokavessis and Gaetan Spiteri who are transfer targets for the Blues.

D'Amato is keen to keep all his key personnel but admitted there was no point holding on to a player if he wants to leave.

"I am very happy with the current squad here but if a player is unhappy and the club agrees to his release, I will not stand in his way," D'Amato said.

"I'm delighted that our two new foreign players, Dutchman Sylvano Comvalius and Romanian defender Florin Anton, have had a very positive effect on the team. They have certainly given us more options." Reports yesterday suggested that Kokavessis is set to complete his move to Marsaxlokk in the coming days but Spiteri is likely to stay with Ħamrun.

While all seems rosy in the Spartans' camp, the same cannot be said of Marsaxlokk who are still licking their wounds after slipping to their second straight defeat.

The southerners have now dropped to third from bottom in the standings and their chances of reaching the Championship Pool look very slim.

Coach Patrick Curmi was quite frank in his assessment of his team's situation. He admitted that his team's lowly position means that they must forget about the Championship Pool and start to concentrate on a tough relegation fight.

"Our performance on Saturday was below-par," Curmi said yesterday.

"I can't understand how a team like Marsaxlokk, full of players with international experience, can give away a 2-0 lead. Yesterday, I watched a dvd of the match and all the four goals we conceded were the result of very poor defending. To tell the truth, I'm at a loss to explain how the team finished in this bad situation.

"It's imperative now that we pull up our socks and start working seriously to get the team out of this mess. Our chances of gaining a Championship Pool berth are very remote and we must now get ready to fight against relegation.

"Last weekend, not only did we drop one place in the table but were also caught up by Qormi who are level on points with us."

Marsaxlokk's next assignment is a tricky match against Sliema Wanderers and Curmi has already indicated that he intends to reshuffle his team.

"Every league match is important but our next fixture against Sliema Wanderers has taken on added significance," Curmi said.

"Given our situation, we can't drop any points from now till the end of the first phase. This week I will have a series of meetings at the club but those players who have shown that they cannot be relied upon to do a good job for the team will be dropped for the next match.

"We are talking with two or three players about the possibility of joining us this month. My priority is to strengthen the forward line and hopefully we will bring somebody in soon."